The Right Choice
by ScorplinginTraining
Summary: In a critical moment, the choice a person makes plainly reveals his/her character. What does it say about Walter when he is faced with an impossible choice?
1. Chapter 1

**THE RIGHT CHOICE**

Paige always believed if her life was going to be in danger it would be directly related to her job. After all, dangerous circumstances were all too common at Scorpion. She never thought for a minute it would be the result of being polite to a neighbor in her apartment laundromat.

It all started on a typical Saturday. Walter and Ralph had gone to Angeles National Forest for the day to work on Ralph's mineralogy merit badge for Forestry Braves. They had been so cute together when Walter came by to get her boy that morning. Looking very out of character, they were both wearing brand new regulation Forestry Braves windbreakers and baseball caps. The hats were so new that they sat stiffly on both dark-haired heads. She had never seen Walter wear a hat before, so she knew he was doing it for Ralph's benefit. It made her smile to remember how a-dork-able they looked as they grabbed backpacks and set off together. Ralph was practically bouncing with impatience for them to go. Spending time with Walter doing anything was what her son loved best.

Paige took the rare opportunity of having a day to herself to work on laundry, a seemingly endless task for any mom. She threw her hair into a messy ponytail and donned her favorite comfy, sloppy clothes and flip-flops. She stripped the beds and stuffed the sheets into her large laundry basket. She grabbed the wheeled clothes hamper from the bathroom and set her basket, detergent, fabric softener and a paperback book on top. Clumsily maneuvering her way out her door and down the hall to the apartment building's laundry room, she felt like a circus balancing act.

As her last loads were lazily thumping around in the bank of dryers on the wall, Paige stared at the words in her book. She was unable to focus on the content because her mind was spinning like the dryers. Her restless thoughts were focused on the men in her life. On one hand she had Tim. He was a perfectly charming and attractive guy who made it obvious he was interested in her. He was easy going and open with no apparent hidden agendas. He had asked her to dinner a few times, but she always gave him some excuse. While she enjoyed the attention from Tim (and the dark looks this association produced from her boss), there was no real spark on her part. Plus, being unusually demonstrative, Ralph showed a strong dislike for the man.

On the other hand, there was Walter. He was complicated and frustrating and weird and closed off and, let's face it, beautifully sexy. And there were those times he could be very sweet and oddly vulnerable. But he blew so hot and cold. Every time she felt like they were getting closer, he would withdraw again. Since Toby and Happy became a couple, he seemed even more distant than usual.

Paige sighed and gave up trying to read. She was so preoccupied she almost failed to notice her neighbor, his upper half almost totally obscured by a huge bundle of clothes, stumbling through the door of the laundry room. That is until he tripped and fell. Shirts, pants, socks, underwear and towels went flying in all directions. His bottle of detergent spun out of his hand and landed with a thud on the hard concrete floor splitting and spilling its contents in a glutinous puddle.

Paige rushed to help asking breathlessly, "Are you okay?"

"It's mostly my pride that's hurt," he replied with a sheepish grin.

The two of them began to gather his things. Paige mopped up the spilled detergent with shirts and towels and threw the dripping bottle in the nearby trash can.

"Look on the bright side. Your clothes are pre-soaped now," she joked.

"There's always a silver lining, right?" He laughed then continued, "Thanks for the assist. I'm Chris by the way." He extended his hand for her to shake.

"Paige." Smirking, she held up her hand. It was slimy with spilled detergent. "Rain check on the handshake, I guess," and began to wipe it off the best she could on one of his towels.

She took in his features. He was of medium height but he was very solid and broad through the shoulders. He had sandy blonde hair and pale blue eyes that were strangely opaque and a touch too close together. "I've seen you before. I think your place is two doors down and across the hall from mine. Welcome to the neighborhood. I noticed you moving in a few weeks ago."

As he loaded his clothes into the nearest washers, they chatted for a few minutes. The conversation was friendly enough at first as they talked generally about their jobs, the unseasonably warm weather and the ridiculous traffic between LA and Oceanside. But then he started asking questions that were a bit too personal. The direction things took made Paige uncomfortable. Soon he began to look her up and down and let his eyes linger improperly on her legs and breasts. Absurdly Paige was thinking about her sloppy attire and was glad she hadn't bothered to fix herself up or he probably would have been even more obnoxious. Then he looked with a leer at the lingerie in her basket and asked what colors her boyfriends preferred on her. Taken aback she didn't respond until he asked if she would like to model for him and ran his fingers lightly down the back of her arm. She was perilously close to telling the guy just exactly how repugnant she thought he was, but was stopped from telling him off properly by the buzzing of the dryers.

Grimacing, she settled with saying stiffly, "You are being very inappropriate and I don't appreciate it. Kindly keep your hands to yourself and please leave me alone! Let me get my clothes out of the dryer and go."

Still ogling her, Chris sneered, "Don't be like that, honey."

Paige shoved past him. Without stopping to fold anything, she stuffed her clean washing into her hamper and basket and beat a hasty retreat toward the door. For a few seconds he blocked her exit with one hand on the doorframe.

"Move your hand, please," she ground out, eyes narrowed.

With a dark chuckle that had her quivering with disgust, he dropped his hand and let her pass.

When Paige got back to her apartment, she felt like she needed a hot shower. Thinking about how she had touched that creep's dirty clothes almost made her gag. She busied herself folding and putting away her things when she heard a knock on the door. She looked out the peephole and her perverted neighbor was on the other side. The distortion of the lens made his eyes seem even more disturbing. She held her breath, ignored his knock and willed him to go away. Why in the hell had she told him which apartment was hers?!

"I know you're in there, sugar," he said, his oily voice oozing around the cracks in her door, "Oh well, maybe you'll come out and play with me some other time." After a pause, he cackled to himself and strolled back down the hall.

She shivered in revulsion and went to take a scalding shower.

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In the busyness of her weekend, Paige tried and mostly succeeded in forgetting all about her nasty neighbor until Monday morning. She and Ralph were heading out for the day and she was startled when she saw him in the hall. He appeared to be playing with his phone, but when she brushed past him, he winked at her and said, "Looking good, baby."

When she got to the garage she was still a bit sickened, so Paige told her coworkers about the weekend's bizarre encounter with the vulgar man. Their responses were varied according to their individual personalities. Happy told her to kick him in the cojones the next time he bothered her. Cabe and Tim both offered to kick his ass. After dubbing him Creepy Chris, Toby told her she was right to trust her instincts. His advice was to let the team research him and turn the tables on him. Sylvester suggested she move immediately. Walter was remarkably quiet about it.

It wasn't until the end of the day that he pulled her to one side and asked, "Why didn't you tell me about that encounter when I dropped Ralph back off at your place on Saturday afternoon? I would have confronted your neighbor for you."

"To be honest," she answered, "I forgot all about it until I saw him in the hall this morning."

"Did he say anything else to you today?" Walter demanded sharply.

"No. He was fiddling with his phone and only looked up to wink at me and make that one stupid comment," she shuddered with distaste and made a face.

"I-I would be more comfortable if you and Ralph would stay in the Airstream here for a while until he stops lurking in your hallway."

Paige looked a bit baffled and shook her head, "I don't think he was lurking. I mean, he does live there. And I can take care of myself. I'll just keep my pepper spray handy when I'm in the hall. I'm not going to let some freakish guy scare me away from my home."

Perturbed, Walter said, "Okay, but I'm going to run a background check on him and in the meantime someone from the team will walk you all the way into your apartment every night until further notice."

When Paige opened her mouth to protest his autocratic behavior, Walter continued adamently, "I'm not going to argue about this. Do you remember when you lectured me about taking unnecessary risks? This is an easy thing we can do to prevent a potential hazard."

Because she could see the logic and more importantly the concern behind his demands, she chose not to debate the issue with him and instead agreed to a nightly escort even though she thought it was unneeded. So Cabe followed her home that first night and made sure she got inside safely. The whole team took turns doing this for a few weeks without incident until Paige finally insisted they stop. Walter was not pleased, but nothing had come up on the background check so he finally acquiesced.

She had only seen Creepy Chris a few times around the complex and while he still made her feel ill at ease, he seemed to be maintaining his distance. Convinced it was all just a storm in a teacup, she went back to her normal routine and put it from her mind.

She would never regret anything more.

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 **AN: This plot bunny has been running around my brain for a while. This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter story, so you guys will have to tell me if you want me to continue. I already have the story worked out in my mind, I just have to get it down as I have time.**

 **I have to say I had this first part written before Episode 2-20 so we hadn't officially met Tim yet. He seems okay so far, (less offensive than I thought he might be) and while Paige seems flattered by him, she still isn't giving him the 'Walter Look'. Walter just seems so closed off recently though. But I'm hopeful everything will work out by the season finale. Part of me SO wants Ralph to be firmly on Team Walter! That's why I made him hate Tim in my story. That may be AU before the next chapter is up.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN:**_ **Oh, boy!** **You guys are really gonna hate me after this chapter. I was originally going to switch the POV to Walter for this one, but he just didn't cooperate and it didn't work for this story. That being said, because we are seeing this from Paige's perspective, I had to get a whole lot more violent with poor Paige than I really wanted to. Don't worry. I will make it up to her later. And then there's the ending of this chapter... Just hold off on throwing rotten vegatables for now.**

 **P.S. Living with this story in my head the past couple of days hasn't been easy, so you writers out there start cranking out some sweet, sweet Waige fluff for my therapy. Pretty please?**

 **THE RIGHT CHOICE**

 **CHAPTER 2**

It was the afternoon of a long day at the end of a long week. Scorpion had caught two complicated and stressful cases back to back. The latest one had taken them out of the country for close to 36 hours, so when Walter decided the paperwork could wait until the next day, the team quickly began to disperse.

All Paige could think about was getting home to Ralph, putting on her pajamas and ordering take out. She was planning to spend a few hours mindlessly watching TV like a vegetable then fall face down in her bed for the first decent sleep in days.

As she was pulling into the parking lot at home, her babysitter called. Mildly alarmed, Paige answered, "Amanda? Is everything okay?"

Amanda was a college student at UCLA and the daughter of a friend of Paige's from her days as a waitress. She was reliable and she always needed the extra money so she would often watch Ralph overnight without much notice. Needless to say, Amanda was a frequent flyer at the Dineen home. "I don't really know yet," the sitter answered, "I got a call a few minutes ago from a minor emergency clinic downtown. They told me Mom was in some kind of accident and she would need me to come and pick her up. The person on the phone told me she asked him to call me, but I don't know exactly what happened. I wasn't able to talk to her directly. They said she was on her way to get X-rays or something."

"Oh, no! I hope she's going to be okay. Do you need me to come and sit with you?"

"That's nice of you, but I think I'll be fine. The guy from the clinic seemed to think she was okay, but she wouldn't be able to drive herself home."

Still in the car and preparing to leave again, Paige asked, "Is Ralph with you? Don't I need to come and get him?"

"No. He's still at home. I was in the hallway talking because I wasn't getting a clear signal. I was about to go back in to tell Ralph to get his shoes on so we could leave when your neighbor from across the hall noticed I was in a hurry and offered to watch him until you got home."

"WHAT?!" Senses on high alert now, Paige demanded, "Which neighbor?"

"I thought it would be fine. He said he knows you. I think his name is Chris?…"

Paige hung up without preamble and snatched her keys from the ignition. Not bothering to grab her purse or even shut her car door, she sprinted for the steps leading to her apartment ignoring Amanda's attempts to call her back. Knowing in her gut that something was very wrong, she took the stairs two at a time and prayed all the way, "Please let Ralph be okay! Please let my son be okay!" like a mantra. Paige careened toward her door and when she stopped in front of it her fingers were trembling so badly she couldn't get her key in the deadbolt and she dropped the whole key ring to the floor with a loud clatter.

The only sensible thought going through her mind at that moment was, "Call for help!" Her phone was still in her hand, so she hit the voice activate key, and panting, commanded, "Call Walter!"

That's when Chris yanked the door open and jerked Paige inside. He shoved her up against the wall. The back of her head made contact with a thump that made her see stars. He kicked the door shut and pressed her shoulders in place with his forearm. That's when she noticed the deadly knife in his other hand. He pushed his lower body against hers to hold her still. He was so close the key ring on his belt dug into her side. They were nearly nose to nose and he said softly, "Welcome home."

She stared into his unnatural eyes. His smile was so terribly frightening because it looked so normal. Tamping down her panic, she asked in a shaking voice, "W-where is Ralph? Where is my s-son?"

Grin still in place, he answered unhelpfully, "Did you know if you steal a charge nurse's phone from a nursing station, you can place a call and the name of the hospital will show up on the caller ID no matter where you're calling from? Isn't that brilliant? But sadly, those phones get really poor reception outside the hospital."

"M-my son? Is-is he okay?"

"Oh he's having a little nap in his room right now. I didn't want him or his babysitter to bother us while we have our discussion. We have a lot to talk about, Paige. You have been very naughty, haven't you?"

She was trying to make herself focus but the terror clawing at her was making it hard to breathe let alone think. "B-but I want to see him…"

"I just said he's napping! Pay attention!" Chris' eyes narrowed and the smile slipped from his face, "We need to talk about your behavior! First you tease me. Then you ignore me. Then I watch as you have a different man over here every night for weeks! Do you know how that makes me feel? You're a tramp and you need to be taught some manners!"

That's when they heard Walter's faint but frantic voice on Paige's phone, "Paige! I'm coming! I'm on the way!"

The phone fell from her nerveless fingers as Chris' eyes widened and his face flushed with rage.

"You little bitch!" he said. He pulled away and backhanded her across the face. She fell to her knees and he gave a sharp kick to her side before crushing the phone under his heel. Stunned and hurting, she began to crawl toward Ralph's room.

He grabbed her by the hair and pressed the knife to her throat. "I don't think so, sugar. Thanks to you we gotta bug out sooner than I planned."

He forced her to stand and walk to the kitchen table where a black backpack sat. She considered elbowing him in ribs or stomping on his foot, but he was twice her size and he kept the knife blade so firmly pressed to her neck that any wrong move would draw blood.

As if he knew what she was thinking, he said, "Don't you try anything crazy." With his free hand, he pulled a roll of silver duck tape out of the bag. "Tear off a strip of that and put it over your mouth. I don't want you making any unnecessary noise before we get to my van. After that you can scream as much as you'd like." She could hear the chilling smile in his voice.

Making one last attempt to reason with him, she whimpered, "What about Ralph? I c-can't leave my son!"

"Shut up about that kid and do what I tell you! Now!" His hand jerked and drew a bead of blood where the knife tip penetrated her skin. It took her a couple of attempts because her hands were shaking so violently, but finally she complied. She tore off some tape and put it across her mouth.

Chris slung the backpack over his shoulder and marched her out the door and down the hall. Her back tightly pressed to his front and his arm like a steel band across her chest, they stumbled down the stairs. She kept hoping someone would see, but it was too early for people to start returning from work yet. He managed to wrestle her all the way to his van parked in the fire lane just outside the stairway door. He turned her around so he could use his free hand to open the back doors to the vehicle. That's when they saw Walter rushing toward them across the lot.

Her would-be rescuer was still about 25 yards away, when Chris yelled, "Stop right there! Don't come any closer or I'll make her bleed!"

Walter could tell he wasn't bluffing. His face blanched and he raised both hands palms up. "Whatever you want. Anything. It's yours. But don't do this."

Keeping Paige in front of him, Chris howled with demented laughter. "Well, I _want_ her. But just because I'm a nice guy and I want her to know what sort of men she's been spending time around, I'm giving you a choice here. Save her or save the boy."

Chris hit a remote on his key ring and the dining room window of Paige's apartment blew out with a thunderous crash and flames began licking up the side of the building toward the roof.

Tears streaming down her face, Paige silently begged Walter with her eyes.

"Come after me and try to save her. Or save the kid. Your pick."

Walter stood frozen in place for a split second. Then he looked her dead in the eye and said, "I'm sorry, Paige." He turned around and left her as he sped back toward the now blazing building.


	3. Chapter 3

**THE RIGHT CHOICE**

 **CHAPTER 3**

It was pitch black as if she'd gone blind.

Her other senses returned one at a time as if her operating system was rebooting. Perversely, Paige thought about how the team would appreciate that analogy and had to suppress the urge to giggle hysterically. It was strange but smell was the next sense to come back online. She could detect some kind of acrid smelling chemical, cardboard and dust. Then she registered hearing the low hum of machinery and an indistinct, muffled voice getting louder and softer like someone was adjusting the volume on a radio.

Paige blinked a few times as her foggy mind began to clear. She tried shaking her head but that left her feeling dizzy and nauseated. Her mouth was so dry it was bothersome to inhale.

Her memory was the last thing to restart and it began to replay frame by frame the events at her apartment…today?...yesterday? She couldn't be sure. Her first reaction to that flood of information was to go into a blind panic. Kicking and flailing, she felt a scream try to climb up and out her parched throat. That's when she realized the duck tape was still in place over her mouth.

She forced herself to calm down and take slow, deep breaths through her nose and reassuring herself that Walter had Ralph, they were in a safe place and they were looking for her. Paige had to believe those things or she would be lost.

Working with a team of geniuses had taught her the need to concentrate and assess her situation. Mentally cataloging what she knew about her surroundings could help her think of a way to escape. She already ascertained her mouth was still taped, but since she applied the tape herself, she hadn't used a lot and it was loose. It was dark, but she knew her eyes weren't covered and when she had kicked out while panicking her foot had connected with something that made a hollow thunk like an empty box. She was lying on her back on what felt like a vinyl covered foam pallet and there was the sense of being off the ground. Her feet were not secured but her wrists were restrained, one on each side, with what felt like cloth strips. The strips made a band around each wrist but there were a few inches of leeway where a short cord attached from the strip on her wrist to the sides of the foam mattress.

As Paige was squirming around, she heard something like fabric sliding overhead and a soft flump when whatever it was landed on the floor beside her. Suddenly she could see cracks of light around her. As her eyes adjusted, she could tell she was on a gurney with a large cardboard box inverted over top of her. A blanket or something similar that had been atop the box must have fallen off while she struggled. The cloth strips on her wrists appeared to be the kind of Velcro wrist restraints used in hospitals and nursing homes to keep patients from harming themselves.

Well, that was ironic. Another bubble of delirious laughter nearly erupted and had to be quashed.

Knowing time might be short, Paige commanded herself to think. The immediate need was to get free from the restraints, so she wiggled herself down inches at a time bending her elbows until her wrists were nearly even with her shoulders. By straining her neck and shoulders until they shook, she could hook her left thumb under the tape on her mouth and she was able to turn her head until the strip was hanging halfway off. Victory!

She had to rest a beat before using her tongue and teeth to loosen the Velcro surrounding her left wrist. Millimeter by millimeter, praying _he_ wouldn't return, she loosened the fastening enough to pull her hand through the loop. Her wrist was sore and raw and her neck and shoulders were aching but she didn't have time to care. She quickly undid the restraint on her right arm hoping the tearing noise of the Velcro wouldn't alert her captor.

The box covering her gave the illusion of safety. Paige had no idea what awaited her beyond its concealing sides, but she had to take the risk. Carefully, she lifted the edge of the box a fraction and peered out. She couldn't detect any movement in the room, so she held her breath and lifted the box all the way off of her and sat up.

A wave of wooziness hit her and she almost dropped the box. Closing her eyes until it passed, she cautiously placed the box on the floor beside her, turned and slid off the gurney until her feet hit the concrete floor.

Now she could see she was in a small, square, dimly lit room. The floor, walls and ceiling were concrete and there was only one door and no windows. Beyond the door she could hear the voice she heard earlier. It sounded like the person was on the phone and pacing the width of the next room. Knowing it was most likely Chris, she was momentarily swamped with a feeling of despair. Telling her self to snap out of that mindset, she decided if escape was not an option she had to figure out a way to either incapacitate him or hide.

Looking around her, Paige discovered she was in what seemed to be a storage room for broken medical equipment. Scanning for a possible weapon and still trying to find an alternative escape route, her eyes landed on a cracked plastic backboard. The old stretcher was made of hard, brittle plastic about a quarter of an inch thick and it had a large split in one end. She held the broken end in one hand and stepped on it. It bent under her weight but didn't break. Trying not to be overwhelmed with disappointment, she tried again. This time she stomped a bit harder hoping _he_ didn't hear anything. A large triangular piece broke off. The piece was curved on one side, but the other side came to a fairly sharp point.

Scanning the room for anything else useful, she spotted a return air vent at the floor level. It would be a tight squeeze, but it looked just barely wide enough for her hips and shoulders to fit through. And best of all, considering her captor's girth, he wouldn't be able to crawl in after her.

She had no flashlight and no idea how far back into the wall the duct went so she decided to explore it. The vent was covered by a grate but it was only held in place by two screws. She crouched down and it occurred to her that Happy would be proud of her as she began to use the broken plastic piece as a screwdriver.

Paige got the first screw out without trouble and was working on the second one when she noticed the voice in the outer room had ceased. Adrenaline flooded her and she made speedy work of the second screw. The grate fell to the floor with a metallic crash.

She froze.

The door burst open and Chris stormed in, fury evident in his stance. He leaned over the gurney and pressed his palms to the mattress. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he demanded, arrogantly expecting her to cower and snivel.

But Paige Dineen was done with that. Instead, seeing him made her mad. How dare he do anything to harm Ralph! Or her! She began to get angrier and angrier and with the adrenaline still pumping, she charged him. She raised the piece of plastic over her head with no real plan except to strike him. He jerked his head back at the last second. She ended up stabbing his hand with so much force, the plastic impaled not only his hand but the gurney's mattress and frame as well.

Shocked, enraged and in pain, Chris screamed while Paige tried to get past him to the door. With his free hand, he grabbed a fist full of her shirt and tore it right down the middle leaving scratch marks on her chest and the shirt in tatters. He was thrashing around and dragging the gurney so much she couldn't get around him and out the door. She just hoped his yelling would attract attention.

Rapidly considering her options, she retreated into the room, dashed toward the vent she just opened and scuttled feet first inside so she could watch him. There wasn't even a breath of space on either side of her and she had to curl her shoulders inward to fit. She was able to scoot 3 or 4 feet inside before the duct narrowed and she couldn't go any further. She made herself as small as possible and shivered with revulsion and delayed reaction.

After a few minutes of threatening Paige with all manner of torture and pain, Chris grabbed the broken piece of backboard pinning his hand and began to yank on it to try to free himself. It sliced his good hand and the gurney rolled forward over his toes but he was eventually able to get free.

Cursing foully and dripping blood from both hands, he stumbled toward Paige's hiding place. He dropped to his knees and peered into the opening. Eyes filled with hatred, he whispered, "I will kill you for this."

With those words, he reached his arm into the vent as far as it would go, his fingertips scrabbling an inch from her face and leaving smears of his blood.

Just then there was a commotion in the outer room. Chris sprang up and ran for the door. That's when Paige heard the most wonderful sound in the world.

"Freeze! Agent Cabe Gallo! Homeland Security!"

Instantly the bravado she felt melted away and she began to sob softly.

 **AN: Thank you for your responses and reviews! So far we've had the drama and suspense, but there will be more Waige in the next chapters. Pinkie Swear.**


	4. Chapter 4

**THE RIGHT CHOICE**

 **CHAPTER 4**

"Paige?! Toby, I don't see her! She's not in here! Where the hell is she?"

The instant Paige heard Walter's voice her throat became so tight with emotion she was unable to say a word.

"Calm down, Walt. She's got to be here. We heard that bastard yelling at her."

"He's deranged! He could have been hallucinating for all we know! I'm telling you she's not here!"

"W-Walter," she was finally able to croak.

"Wait! Did you hear something? Paige?! Paige, where are you?"

"Here. I'm down here," she managed to say a bit louder.

Walter's anxious face appeared at the opening of her hiding place.

Still pushing words past the enormous lump in her throat, she asked, "R-Ralph?"

"He's okay. He's safe. He's back at the garage with Happy and Sly. Are you alright?"

The relief was so intense she couldn't breathe and just started sobbing as all pent up feelings erupted.

"Hey, are you hurt? He's gone. You can come out now."

"I c-can't," she hiccupped.

"Why? What's wrong? Are you stuck? Toby, she's stuck! We need to get her out of there!"

"N-no," she shook her head vehemently.

"What? What is it?"

"N-no. I'm not s-stuck or hurt."

"Then come out. Please, Paige. The dimensions prevent me from reaching in to get you."

"I-I c-can't!"

"Why? What's impeding you? I don't understand."

"M-my shirt! He t-tore my shirt!" she sniffled, "I know its stupid, but…I-I'm embarrassed." Paige couldn't explain it properly and she felt ridiculous, but she was unable to tolerate the thought of displaying herself half dressed at that moment. She had just endured too much.

Walter frowned. "Oh…um…Look, you can have mine," he said and rapidly began unbuttoning his own shirt. "Here. I'll lay it here and Toby and I will turn around. See?"

Gratitude flooded her and she began scooting toward the opening using her knees, elbows and toes to propel forward. Her mind refused to acknowledge the origin of the bloodstains she was worming her way through. She emerged a few minutes later and slipped Walter's shirt on over her own ruined one. His familiar scent engulfed her and calmed her.

"Thank y…," was all Paige had time to utter before Walter's arms were around her crushing her to him. He buried his face in her hair and palmed the back of her head with one hand while his other hand fisted in the shirt at her back. His breaths were rasping in and out between his clenched teeth.

Still crying but feeling like she needed to comfort him too somehow, she whispered, "I'm fine. It's okay now," and embraced him tightly in return.

They stood like that for what could have been seconds or decades, clinging and swaying, Paige wetting his white undershirt with her tears.

Toby cleared his throat. Then he coughed. Finally, he said loudly, "Hey…uh, guys. I hate to interrupt this sweet Hallmark moment, but the EMTs are here."

Another minute passed and Toby laid his hand on Walter's shoulder and said, "We really need to take a look at her now. Make sure she's okay."

That seemed to register and Walter backed up slightly, his hands still on her back and Paige's arms still locked around his waist. He looked into her eyes and said, "We need to let them examine you."

"D-don't leave me. Please don't go," she said.

A pained expression crossed his features and he answered, "Not a chance. I promise."

Walter glared at the EMTs as if they were trying to steal her away, but allowed them to gently guide her into a wheelchair.

"Ms. Dineen, we're just going to take you upstairs to the ER now," the paramedic said and started to wheel her out of the storage room.

Paige grabbed Toby's arm stopping their progress. She looked up and said, "Don't let them sedate me. Please, Toby, I don't want to be knocked out again."

He nodded and patted her hand, "I got this. Don't worry. I'll make sure."

Walter's jaw was set and he looked at the paramedic, nodded stiffly and said, "She will have anything she wants. Clear?"

The man nodded solemnly then replied, "We'll take good care of her, sir."

Then with a look of confusion, Paige asked, "Wait, did you say upstairs to the ER?"

"You've already been a guest of this fine medical institution today. Your 'host', Creepy Chris, was one of their employees," Toby clarified for her, "So I would demand the VIP treatment if I were you. Just let them know you have Heywood on retainer."

The EMTs were all expressionless professionalism as they began to make a path around the debris in the storage room for the wheelchair and set off with their passenger once again. The fluorescent glare of the hallway lighting stabbed at Paige's eyes and made her squint as they wheeled her down the hall to the bank of elevators. Walter looked angry and distressed as he walked beside her, so she reached up and grabbed his hand and held it all the way to the automatic doors leading to the Emergency Department. His fingers gripped hers but he kept looking straight ahead.

Hoping to alleviate some of the tension radiating off Walter, Paige looked up at the EMT to her other side and said, "I really think I'm fine. I'm scratched and banged up and maybe a little bruised, but I really don't think I need to see a doctor."

"Ma'am, it's not only hospital policy but its police procedure for all assault victims. You need to have documentation of any injuries," the EMT answered. Then he wheeled her into an exam room and helped her up onto a table and said, "Someone will be with you shortly." The EMTs left and shut the door quietly.

Walter stood like a statue beside the table.

Not even 2 minutes later a brisk knock sounded on the door and a woman in a lab coat entered the room followed by a female uniformed police officer.

Toby stepped forward and said, "I'm Ms. Dineen's personal physician. You will need to consult with me before administering any medication."

The woman in the white coat frowned but nodded brusquely. Then turning to Paige, she said, "I'm Dr. Cantrell and this is Officer Meyers. We are truly sorry for what you have been through. She is here to take your statement when you're ready. Then I'll do an exam and with your permission we will need to take pictures of any trauma."

Suddenly Paige felt overcome with weariness and sighed, "If that's what we need to do, let's do it."

Toby said, "I guess that's our cue to go. Walt?"

Walter glowered and said, "I'm staying."

Toby gave him and incredulous look, shrugged and stepped out the door, "I'll be right outside," he said.

The doctor glanced at Paige and asked, "Is it okay for him to stay?"

She nodded saying, "Yes. I'd like him to stay with me. Thank you."

"Sir, you can have a seat over there if you like," Dr. Cantrell said indicating a chair in the corner of the little room.

Walter sat but scooted the chair as close as space would allow to the table.

The police woman stepped up beside Paige and brought out a recorder. The officer took her name for the record and as gently as possible began to ask questions about the ordeal. Paige related the details while Walter sat silently staring at his knees.

Then the officer said, "I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Were you sexually assaulted?"

Walter made a soft noise of distress and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes.

"I-I don't think so," Paige answered, "I was unconscious part of the time, so there's a slight possibility. But I really don't think so."

Paige started feeling guilty about wanting Walter to stay. His presence was reassuring to her, but she hadn't taken into account how he would process hearing the whole story. So, after the officer concluded the interview and the doctor stepped forward to begin the exam, she turned to him and said, "You should probably step out for this part. Why don't you have Sly and Happy bring Ralph. I'd really like to see him."

Standing but still not making eye contact, Walter said, "If that's what you need."

"Bring Ralph to me, please?"

He nodded once and disappeared out the door.

 **AN: I wasn't able to edit as much as I normally do, so if there are any errors you will have to excuse me.**

 **Poor Walter! :`( I had to torture him a little this chapter. Someone will have to kiss it and make it all better soon...**


	5. Chapter 5

**THE RIGHT CHOICE**

 **CHAPTER 5**

She was outnumbered and outgunned and much too tired to take on one determined doctor and a roomful of stubborn geniuses. The doctor kept insisting Paige needed to stay overnight 'for observation' even though she was only slightly dehydrated and had no significant injuries.

Everyone else had his or her own unique reason for her to stay the night. Happy argued the hospital owed her after employing the S.O.B. who did this to her. Sylvester had the idea something latent might be wrong all the lab tests, x-rays and scans she had undergone failed to detect. Or there was Toby's insistence the hospital administrators were trying to cover their collective backsides to prevent a lawsuit and she should take advantage of whatever they were willing to offer.

Walter had spent the time since Ralph and the others arrived standing by the door with his hands in his pockets, studying his shoes. But when she asked him directly for his opinion, he said in his usual blunt way, "Staying here is the most logical choice. Everything in your apartment is either smoke or water damaged and it will take days to sort through it. Happy, Sly and Ralph were working on enclosing rooms at the garage as a temporary shelter for both of you, but they aren't ready yet. You would have to buy even the basic necessities for tonight if you were discharged. It would be more efficient to stay until we are finished fixing up the garage to accommodate you."

Knowing they meant well and attempting to be grateful, Paige gritted her teeth. Her first reaction was to be irritated. She had never been successful at making the team understand appropriate boundaries and wished they had consulted her first before deciding where she and Ralph would stay once she was released from the hospital. But then she realized it was actually a relief not to have to worry about where they would live until she could work things out…that and her pulse thrummed at the thought of sharing even a temporary living space with Walter. Maybe some interference was warranted in this case.

Ultimately, it was Ralph's reasoning that persuaded Paige to let the doctor admit her. He said, "Mom, I would be more comfortable if you stayed. Then I could be assured of your safety." In the end she just couldn't contend with her son's concerns.

The nurses got her settled into a private room with the cyclone trailing her like an entourage. Immediately Happy, Toby, Sly and Ralph began to make themselves at home. They moved the furniture around, discussed ordering pizza and flipped through the channels on the TV. Walter still hung around the periphery of the room looking everywhere but directly at Paige. She just shook her head and dragged herself to the bathroom for a shower. She had never been so exhausted.

When she was clean and dry, she dressed in the gown the hospital provided along with Walter's shirt. She wasn't ready to give up the shirt's comfort or the sweetness of the gesture yet, so she hugged it to herself and went to sit propped up in the bed.

That's when Cabe and Tim made their appearance. Everyone except Walter began grilling them and asking them rapid fire questions about the arrest and what was going to happen to Creepy Chris.

"Keep your shirts on and let us get settled. I'm starving!" Cabe said and snagged a slice of pizza from the box on the bedside table, "Paige needs to know a few things first."

Walter looked sideways at Tim and muttered to no one in particular, "Paige will want Ralph to stay in her room tonight, so I'm going to make arrangements for a rollaway bed. I also need to go and pick up a few things he's going to need if he stays."

She hadn't even thought about Ralph staying in her room, but knew instantly that was exactly what she needed. Surprised as much as relieved at Walter's consideration, Paige opened her mouth to thank him, but he was already gone.

Taking a big bite of pizza, Cabe pulled a chair up beside the bed so he could fill Paige in on the details she'd missed. "Well, first of all," he started, "It wasn't this cowboy's first rodeo. When we ran his prints, we found out he's wanted for questioning in the disappearance of at least two other women."

"I called that! Didn't I, Happy?" Toby asked.

"You're very astute, Doc. Now shut it," she replied, elbowing him in the ribs.

Still chewing, Cabe continued, "His real name isn't Chris either, but he created a new identity and an online back story for himself so rock solid even Walter was fooled. And it was good enough to get himself hired here too. It seems his MO is to go to work at hospitals as a biomedical engineer."

"What's that?" Paige asked.

"Actually the bio med staff is responsible for repair and maintenance of hospital equipment from airbeds to x-ray machines to laminar flow systems to the robotics in surgery," Sylvester supplied helpfully.

Paige nodded and Cabe said, "Working in biomed this guy had unrestricted access to almost all the departments and no one questioned him. He could get his hands on medication and all the stuff he needed to kidnap and hold someone captive indefinitely and he knew where he where to hide in a hospital without detection. He even had access to the incinerator to destroy evidence."

"I'm very lucky to be alive," Paige said shivering, "But I still don't understand how he was able to lure my babysitter away. How did he even know who she was and when she would be there?"

Tim answered her this time, "It turned out the fire bomb he set off was mostly for a distraction. It was all bang and didn't do a lot of actual damage to the units around yours. The fire department had things under control pretty quickly and we were able to go in and search his apartment fairly soon after you were abducted. When Walter hacked into this guy's laptop, he found pictures of you and everyone who was in and out of your place. He had pinhole cameras all over the hallway and was apparently monitoring them all with his phone and laptop. He had been observing you for weeks."

Paige felt sick but needed to know the whole story, so she motioned for them to keep going.

Cabe took over, "Your babysitter is a nursing student, right? Well he saw pictures of her coming and going when she stayed with Ralph. When we contacted her, she told us she did her clinical rotations at this facility. He must have seen her and recognized her. From there it would be easy enough to ask around, get her name and look up her phone number on the hospital's records."

"None of this explains why you were able to find me so quickly, though. Did you just come to search his office and have a stroke of luck?"

"Nope. That was all thanks to your brilliant son," Cabe beamed at Ralph like a proud grandpa, "He remembered during one of our cases Walter slipped a phone in someone's backpack so we could track him. When this joker was trying to secure and sedate him, Ralph put his phone in a side pocket of his bag. He completely underestimated and dismissed Ralph because he's a kid. Big mistake on his part."

Paige marveled at her son's quick thinking while Cabe kept talking, "We would have found you sooner, but when Walter got Ralph out of the building, they had to give him something to reverse the effects of the sedative and they put him on oxygen to treat him for smoke inhalation…"

Then Ralph spoke up, "Yeah, and I kept trying to push the mask off my face so I could tell them how to find you. Walter finally had to shove one of the paramedics aside so I could tell him."

She smiled just picturing how little finesse Walter probably used in that moment. Turning to her boy, she said proudly, "You are completely amazing! I should never be surprised."

Cabe and Tim stayed a bit longer to answer the others' questions then excused themselves to go finish up the paperwork on the arrest.

Tim gave Paige an awkward side hug and asked if she needed anything. In her mind, she was comparing Walter's hug to his and finding Tim's lacking. It was probably unfair, but there was just no chemistry with Tim.

Ralph saw the hug and wrinkled his nose. It was all Paige could do not to laugh at his expression.

Cabe squeezed her shoulder and said, "Glad you're okay, kiddo. You had us all very worried…especially Walter. And between us I think he's blaming himself more than a little."

Walter returned just as the orderlies were bringing a bed into the room for Ralph. He brought a bag containing pajamas and socks, a change of clothes, a toothbrush and a comb. After handing everything off to her son, Walter stayed near the side of the room and only nodded in acknowledgement when she thanked him.

Worried about what Cabe said and not willing to let his reticence go on, she was determined to hash things out with Walter and vowed he wouldn't leave the room again until they talked.

As usual, all it took was one of them almost dying before they could clear the air.

 **AN: This was going to be the last chapter, but it was getting too long and I didn't want to rush the ending. A big thanks goes to Cabe, Tim and Sylvester for filling my plot holes...they needed a backhoe. ;-D Next Chapter should be the _Big Finish._ Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I think I may be addicted, so hit that little button again. Yeah, that's it! Ahhhhh!**


	6. Chapter 6

**THE RIGHT CHOICE**

 **CHAPTER 6**

The shades were drawn, the lights were dimmed and Ralph had long since gone to sleep.

One of the nurses tapped on Paige's door and poked her head in the room, "Just checking to see if you need something for pain or sleep…," she said cheerfully.

"No, thank you. I'm fine," Paige was quick to respond before the nurse had time to finish.

"…and I also need to remind everyone that visiting hours are over in about 15 more minutes." The nurse smiled and said, "Okay, if you're sure. I'll be at the nurses' station across the hall if you change your mind or need anything else," and with that she left and closed the door behind her.

Toby touched Paige's arm and said, "You may want to think about taking something for sleep. You've been dozing on and off for the last hour and you jerk awake about every 10 minutes."

Paige rubbed her eyes. "Everything that happened today keeps playing on repeat in my head," she sighed, "but I would still rather not take anything. I don't want to feel out of control again or like I can't wake up."

"That's understandable considering what you went through, but you are clearly exhausted. I let them order a mild sedative for you. You should consider taking it if you aren't able to get some sleep soon."

Paige gave Toby a tired smile, "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Sylvester stood up, yawned and stretched. "Maybe you could sleep better without an audience. I'll check in with you in the morning. I'm really glad you're okay." He leaned over the bedrail and kissed her forehead. "See everyone tomorrow," he said to the room at large and left shortly after.

Happy and Toby were the next ones to go after giving the same kinds of assurances.

That left Walter. He shut his laptop. Still refusing to look directly at Paige, he said, "I guess I should go too."

"Wait. Walter?" She said softly before he had a chance to vanish out the door, "Would you mind staying for a little while longer?"

Paige could see how tired he was by the lines on his face and the slump of his shoulders, but this was the first opportunity she'd had to talk to him alone. She desperately needed to make him understand he was not responsible for anything that happened to her that day.

When he wordlessly started to go back to his seat by the window, she asked, "If you don't mind, could you sit a little closer?"

Walter moved to a chair beside her bed then sat leaning forward on his elbows and dangling his hands loosely between his knees. Paige's weary mind was searching for the right words to open the dialogue and thinking if she said the wrong thing, he would just shut down altogether.

As she was considering what to say, he asked, "Are you angry with me?"

At first she was genuinely surprised by the question and was left momentarily speechless in its wake. Shaking her head, she said, "No. I was actually trying to find a way to thank you."

He glowered at her from under his brows. "What?! You're obviously joking!"

"No, Walter. I sincerely appreciate what you did for me today."

He stood up so rapidly his chair shot back a few inches scraping loudly across the floor and he began to pace the small span of the hospital room. A sarcastic sneer marred his face as he said, " _I_ didn't find you! _I_ didn't save you! Ralph found you! You saved you!"

"You don't always have to have all the answers, you know. You are not responsible to solve everyone's problems for them. It's good we have to occasionally think for ourselves."

Walter snorted. "So, exactly which part are you grateful for?! The part where I didn't dig deep enough into that psycho's background or hack his phone or computer because his employment and school records looked legit? Or how about the part where I agreed to stop having someone escort you home every night? Or maybe you want to thank me for giving it away when I was on the phone with you…s-so he could…he c-could…h-hit you?" He had to stop and take several deep breaths as his voice had begun to escalate in volume. He glanced at Ralph's sleeping form and kept going in a voice that was low and raspy, "Or b-best of all did you want to thank me because I-I-I…l-left…left you? You were terrified…and…d-drugged and God only knows what…," his voice trailed off and he slumped back into the chair, elbows on his knees and head in his hands.

"Walter…," she said gently as her eyes filled, "Is that what you've been thinking?"

He made no response, so Paige reached through the bedrail and laid her hand on his face, her fingertips resting in the hair at his temple. He flinched slightly at first then he leaned into her palm. She stroked his eyebrow with her thumb. His lips were compressed into a thin line, his eyes were shut and he nodded once.

"Well, you couldn't be more wrong."

He briefly lifted tortured eyes to hers. "How can you say that?" He whispered.

"Because it's true."

He shook his head sadly and her hand dropped back to her side.

"Walter, you're fallible like the rest of us. Okay, I get that. But I'm the one who dismissed the whole situation. I was so sure I could handle things myself. I downplayed the importance and I stopped paying attention. I'm the one who insisted people stop following me home. Me! I put my own life in danger. And Ralph's in the process. That's on me, not you."

He still looked miserable, but Walter hesitantly reached out and wrapped his fingers around hers. He stared at their hands and smoothed his thumb over her knuckles. "I failed you," he mumbled, "I looked you in the eyes and…and…I l-left you."

"How can I make you see? You made the right choice! If I had been able to tell you what to do in that moment… You know me well enough to understand you did exactly what I wanted, no _needed,_ you to do. Do you really think I would have asked you to save me before my son?"

"Logically, I know that. But I honestly can't tell you if I was acting on that premise at the time or not," he swallowed hard then said, "I just couldn't stand the thought of Ralph being scared or hurt and expecting me to save him…waiting on me to come…j-just sure I would make it okay. He believes that Scorpion…that I-I…don't…uh…f-fail."

"Imagine if you hadn't been there to make that choice at all?"

"Paige, when Ralph woke up, he looked at me with confidence. He was sure I could fix it…I could f-find you…save you. B-but I-I couldn't even c-calculate the odds. I-I h-had no plan! How could I leave you like that?!"

She shut her eyes against the deluge of emotion she felt for this man. Lips trembling she said, "But that's perfect. Don't you see? It's even better that your first instinct was to help my son. I could never ask for anything more than that. You are just what Ralph needs. You are the very person I want in his life always." A tear escaped and trailed down the side of her face.

"I was s-so…s-s-so…"

"Scared?" she supplied.

He nodded slowly and said so quietly she had to strain to hear, "I have never experienced fear to that degree."

"Well, I'm okay now. We both are. And you did save me…by saving my son."

Still holding her fingers, Walter's eyes finally met hers fully and he whispered, "It is not pleasant for me to think of m-my life without either of you in it."

They sat in comfortable silence, fingers entwined. Paige began to drift in and out of sleep again, but she would still jolt awake every few minutes.

Until Walter finally said, "Paige, you really need to sleep. Do I need to leave?"

"No. Please stay with me?"

"Then take the sedative Toby prescribed."

"I don't want to be sedated…but there is something else I could try if it's not too awkward for you."

"What's that? What can I do?"

Paige blushed and looked at her hands, "Maybe if …um…you lay down beside me? If I could f-feel your warmth or hear your heart beating, I may be able to relax and feel safe enough to actually sleep."

His eyes widened and he looked nervous, but needing to help if he could, Walter agreed, "W-we could try that. I-I don't mind. I-I think I could…uh…h-handle that."

Walter kicked off his shoes while Paige put down the bedrail and lowered the head of the bed. She pulled back the covers and he slid in beside her hesitantly. Paige carefully laid her head on his chest right above his heart and slipped her arm around his middle. She was out in seconds.

As he arranged the covers over the both of them, it occurred to Walter he had never spent a whole night in bed with another person. He should have been extremely uncomfortable with so much contact, but he felt himself relaxing into her embrace. He placed one of his hands on her back between her shoulders. He felt warm and strangely content. Soon he began to doze.

At one point during the night, Walter awoke to find Ralph standing beside the bed. Touching a finger to his lips and looking at the boy's mother, he whispered, "Hey, buddy. Can't sleep?"

Ralph shook his head and asked, "Do you think the dimensions of your bed are adequate to include me?"

Walter scooted as far toward the middle of the bed as he was able without disturbing Paige. Ralph climbed in and put his head on Walter's stomach and slung his arm over his mother's. Paige's fingers tangled in her son's hair.

Afraid to move a muscle and glad for the bedrails, Walter was soon sleeping again.

This was the scene that greeted the cyclone when they walked into Paige's room the next morning. In a bed only slightly wider than a twin, there was a man who had claimed to have no feelings and an aversion to physical affection. He was flanked and embraced by the little boy who believed in him and the woman who adored them both.

Sylvester's eyes brimmed with tears behind his glasses. Happy froze in astonishment. Cabe chucked to himself thinking about the condition of a certain person's 'circulatory muscle'. Toby took out his phone and said, "I should be recording this."

And Tim? Well, he was back at the garage having egg bagels.

 **AN: I wrote this listening to James Bay's song 'Incomplete'...a lot. It really was appropriate for the feels in this story. If you haven't heard it, its incredible. You should look it up.**

 **And that's a wrap, kids! I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for all the reviews.**


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